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From CGTN Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday that Thailand will purchase 8 million doses of Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine from China.

It was 1976 when I met a young man whose radiant smile I could not get out of my head. We soon became fast friends and for 11 years he was the most important person in my life until he was taken in 1987. The cure began to emerge that year but too late for Billy. I did not have another relationship like that for 29 years. This time it was in November of 2016 when another young man, standing at Soi 4 and Silom rd., smiled at me. Although I didn’t know it at the time, he, too, was to change my life and continues to do so to this day. Those of us who lived through and survived AIDS all have our own stories. But the one thing we all have in common is that as we still await a vaccine for that horror. Visitors and volunteers walk on the 21,000-panel AIDS Memorial Quilt on October 10, 1992 in Washington. (CNN)

From Bangkok Post The Airports of Thailand (AoT) is introducing self-check in and luggage-loading services at Suvarnabhumi airport to reduce contact between passengers and staff to help mitigate against the risk of Covid-19 infections. AoT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said on Saturday 180 machines will be installed at the country's main gateway airport to make check-in and other activities self-service. The machines will be trialled this month before being integrated in July. He said the machines are linked to a database which includes flight information from other airlines as well as the Immigration Bureau, the Interior Ministry and various security agencies. The system will speed up pre-flight procedures and build travellers' confidence in the AoT's public health security ahead of the resumption of normal commercial flight operations, according to Mr Nitinai. The AoT president said the system will be made available to travellers with no luggage who will be able to use self-check-in kiosks at the airport. Alternatively, they can download the AoT App and use it to check in for their flights before getting to the airport. Travellers with luggage can also use the check-in kiosks as new self-service luggage loaders are being installed as part of the initiative. Charges for exceeding weight allowances can also be paid on the spot via the interface. After that, travellers will have their boarding passes checked at unmanned biometric security stations. In the future, the AoT is also looking to replace officials with the biometric system to check boarding passes while people wait to board their flights, Mr Nitinai said. In the meantime, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) has urged governments to make data-driven decisions as they mull reopening their borders to international travel. Well-implemented, but quarantine free, strategies can enable international travel to restart while minimising the risk of spreading Covid-19 to the travel destination, according to Willie Walsh, Iata's director-general. "Data should drive policies on restarting global travel that manage Covid-19 risks to protect populations, revive livelihoods and boost economies," he said. He said there is no one-size-fits-all solution to handling the various levels of risk, but pointed towards the need to justify the economic and social cost of blanket measures taken by most governments which have been unnecessarily high. "Everybody can respect a data-driven decision. That is the way back to normality," said Mr Walsh. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2127407/airports-go-hands-off-to-quell-fears ========================================== From Tourism Authority of Thailand

From Pattaya Mail June is considered the month of pride among LGBTQ. The mall in Bangkok like Samyan Mitrtown has transformed its iconic tunnel walk with colorful rainbow decorations to celebrate ‘Pride Month’ under the campaign ‘Samyan Mitr Proud 100% Love’ to promote love and equality of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer). The event is taking place from now until July 11, 2021.

The 747 was the the true queen of the skies. First flight to BKK was a Northwest 747 from Minneapolis via Narita. Roomy, smooth, comfortable and reliable. Crews and passengers loved it. Can't think of any major carrier that didn't fly them.

From Bangkok Post Phuket set for July 1; Bangkok and others set to follow The government gave the green light to the plan to reopen Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists starting on July 1, although visitors are required to remain on the resort island for 14 days before leaving the province. The plan was approved on Friday during a meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (Cesa) chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. It was proposed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Sport and Tourism Ministry. From July 1, Phuket will be the first province to welcome back foreign tourists and waive the quarantine requirement for those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 under the so-called "Phuket Tourism Sandbox" programme, which is touted as a model for the reopening of the kingdom's tourism industry as a whole, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. However, the tourists must remain on the island for 14 days -- an increase from the previously planned seven days -- before being allowed to continue on to other destinations in the country, Mr Phiphat said. Mr Phiphat said the meeting had not yet approved plans to reopen Krabi and Koh Samui off Surat Thani to foreign tourists next month because Cesa wanted to first assess the outcome of Phuket's reopening over the next two months. Officials at the meeting also approved the tourism reopening of Bangkok, Phetchaburi (Cha-am district), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin district), Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Buri Ram from Oct 1, he said. Mr Phiphat previously said the combined tourism income of these 10 provinces in 2019 stood at 1.5 trillion baht, and that was the reason why they were selected to join the reopening pilot programme, which is scheduled to run from Oct 1 until Dec 31. "Under the sandbox programme, Phuket will also reopen to Thais who have already received two doses of vaccines," he said. "The TAT will sign an agreement with the Board of Trade of Thailand to fly vaccinated members of the board to Phuket to promote the reopening on July 1." Foreign tourists who plan to visit Phuket on July 7 are from Israel, while visitors from the United States will fly to the resort island on July 9, Mr Phiphat said. He said he was confident at least 70% of Phuket residents, and 100% of local tourism operators will be fully vaccinated in time for the reopening on July 1. As of Wednesday, about 60% of Phuket's target population of 466,587 had been injected with a first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 98,795 had received their second shot, according to TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn. A total of 376,427 people have registered for the vaccination drive, he said. Phuket will reopen to tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for more than 14 days but no more than one year prior to their visit, and they must come from low-to-moderate risk countries as announced by the Public Health Ministry, Mr Danucha said. Foreign tourists must have vaccination certificates from their countries and the vaccines they have received must be registered under Thai law or approved by the World Health Organization, he said. Tourists must stay at hotels that have Safety & Health Administration Plus hygiene standards certification, he said, adding they will still be required to use contact tracing apps during their stay in the kingdom. They must also report regularly to health authorities and strictly abide by the Covid-19 DMHTTA rules (distancing, mask-wearing, hand-washing, temperature testing, Covid testing and mobile app use), Mr Danucha said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2127043/phuket-set-for-july-reopening ================================= From Tourism Authority of Thailand

Imagine passengers falling off the ladder, delays loading and off-loading the cabin, trips to the restrooms. How many of the flying population could even negotiate the stairs? And it's doubtful the cabin could be completely evacuated in emergency within the time limits established by civil aeronautics authorities. I'm sure commercial aviation will continue to evolve in the future. We've already seen the movement to wide-body (747) to jumbo (380) and back to wide-body (350, 787). Despite the Crystal Cabin competitions, carriers will avoid acrobatic configurations and stay with the single level design.

The supersonic transport was a bold undertaking that worked. The Concorde had a 14-year production run. PeterRS described the factors leading to its demise but the industry--and aviation enthusiasts--never gave up on the concept. Whether or not Boom's entry will actually materialize, I agree, remains to be seen but I applaud United for thinking like British Air and Air France and stepping to the plate. If they hadn't, the Concorde would have never flown. I could find only one attempt by Boeing to build a SST. If there were others I would enjoy hearing about them. Here's an historical snapshot of the Boeing 2707 project: https://www.boeing.com/history/products/supersonic-transport.page

Yes, CP Thailand Group agreed to purchase the Tesco-Lotus businesses in Thailand and Malaysia last year. I believe the sale has since passed possible anti-trust considerations and has been completed. Don't know whether they plan to re-brand the stores as 7-11's but I assume that consolidation of locations is inevitable. From the Straits Times BANGKOK (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Tesco agreed to sell its businesses in Thailand and Malaysia to Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont's CP Group for for an enterprise value of US$10.6 billion (S$14.6 billion) and will return almost two-thirds of the proceeds to shareholders. The deal to buy Tesco's 2,000 Thai retail outlets marks the end of a three-way tycoon tussle - and the beginning of the first engagement for Thailand's newly powerful antitrust watchdog. The British grocery chain chose Mr Chearavanont's operator of 12,000 7-Eleven convenience stores over the Chirathivat family's Central Group of Companies Ltd - Thailand's biggest retailer by market capitalisation - and beer magnate Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi's TCC Group Co, said people with direct knowledge of the matter. CP Group runs its 12,000 7-Eleven convenience stores through CP All PCL and about 80 cash-and-carry stores under Siam Makro PCL. It will gain control of 1,965 stores Tesco operates in Thailand - much of which the British firm bought from CP Group during the 1997-8 Asian financial crisis. Included are 200 Tesco Lotus hypermarkets and 1,600 Tesco Lotus Express convenience stores. It will also buy 74 outlets in Malaysia.

From Bangkok Post SINGAPORE: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the European Union have concluded the world’s first bloc-to-bloc air transport agreement, Asean said, to allow their airlines to easier expand services to and within the respective regions. The agreement, once formalised, will mean that airlines of the combined 37 member states can fly any number of non-stop flights between countries in both regions, Asean said on Friday. Additionally, airlines will be permitted to fly up to 14 weekly passenger services with one stop within the other region to pick up passengers on the return leg. There will no limits on flights with one stop to pick up cargo. The agreement “provides essential guarantees of fair competition for our European airlines and industry, while strengthening reciprocal prospects for trade and investment”, said Adina Valean, the European Commissioner for Transport, according to the Asean statement. The Asean-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (AE Cata), as it will be known, will be submitted for review by lawyers and signed at a later date, the statement said. Brendan Sobie, a Singapore-based independent aviation analyst, said the deal was a positive step for the airlines but issues like securing slots could still be a challenge. “The general idea here is to make Asean and EU airlines more competitive compared to airlines from other regions, which have been aggressively gaining market share in the Asean-EU market,” he said. “There may be issues that prevent these kind of routes from actually operating. Slots have always been an issue in this region which can make traffic rights irrelevant.”

From Bloomberg News United Airlines Holdings Inc. is jumping into the potential market for supersonic travel with the first firm order for Boom Technology Inc.’s Overture aircraft, wagering that business flyers will pay top dollar for speedier trips across oceans. The airline will buy 15 of the supersonic jets, which are expected to carry passengers in 2029, the companies said in a statement Thursday. At $200 million a plane, the deal is valued at $3 billion at list prices and Boom doesn’t offer discounts, said Blake Scholl, the aircraft developer’s founder and chief executive officer. United also took purchase options for 35 more planes. United plans to be the debut operator of the Overture, which will be able to seat as many as 88 people. The airline’s coastal hubs in leading business-travel markets make the jet “uniquely useful” for United, said Mike Leskinen, vice president of corporate development. While supersonic flight is banned over land in the U.S., United sees three and-a-half hour jaunts to London from Newark, New Jersey, and six-hour trips to Tokyo from San Francisco. “It has a tremendous amount of value for a big chunk of our high-end business customers,” Leskinen said. “We’ve got our eyes firmly on New York to London for inaugural service and we will evaluate opportunities beyond that.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-03/united-bets-on-supersonic-future-with-3-billion-boom-jet-order

From Nikkei Asia Vietnam's 'new COVID variant' part of existing Indian strain: WHO HANOI -- As Vietnam's northern manufacturing hub fights COVID-19 variants, the World Health Organization's main representative in the country is urging authorities and companies critical to supply chains to continue containment efforts because vaccinations of factory workers are falling behind needs. Since late April, Vietnam has been struggling to contain multiple COVID-19 outbreaks at factories located in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, two neighboring provinces near Hanoi, the capital. On Wednesday, authorities reported 241 new cases in the country, with 157 in Bac Giang and 31 in Bac Ninh. Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long shocked global investors on Saturday, hinting that a newly discovered variant could have contributed to outbreaks in the heart of the country's economic engine. Long said the government uncovered "a new COVID-19 variant" that combines characteristics of two existing variants first found in India and the U.K. "There is no new hybrid variant in Vietnam at this moment based on WHO definition," Kidong Park, the WHO representative in Vietnam, told Nikkei Asia on Wednesday in an online interview. "The variant detected is Delta variant, with additional mutations, and needs more observation. We need to monitor during next couple of weeks," he said referring to the newly labeled "delta" variant which was first detected in India and appeared in other countries. "This is within the existing [delta] variant. It is an additional mutation" Park explained, adding "as for now, there is no alarming alert from WHO. Park also stressed the delta variant is dangerous as it is highly contagious and spreads very quickly. Son Nghiem, a senior research fellow at Griffith University's Centre for Applied Health Economics in Australia, agreed there is no need for new WHO alert at this time. "To my knowledge, the Bac Giang and Bac Ninh outbreaks were mostly associated with the Indian variant," Nghiem told Nikkei Asia last week. Park said it is difficult to tell when Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, home to factories for international manufacturers including Samsung Electronics, will be able to end the outbreaks. Since late April, more than 400 companies -- with 65,000 workers -- have halted production in Bac Ninh. In Bac Giang, four out of six industrial parks were forced to shut down on May 18, affecting at least 140,000 workers. Local authorities also ordered COVID-hit factory operators to keep workers inside facilities to contain the virus. Employees were asked to eat, sleep and work in factories, with tents set up as temporary accommodations. Since vaccinations for factory workers just started this week in the two provinces, authorities and operators will have to continue stringent containment measures including testing, contact tracing and isolation "for a certain period of time," Park said. Vietnam had been one of the most successful countries in preventing the spread of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The challenge now is to accelerate vaccinations amid a shortage of doses as Asian economies rush to secure supply. https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Vietnam-s-new-COVID-variant-part-of-existing-Indian-strain-WHO ========================================== From Bloomberg News / Bangkok Post Vietnam to have 125m doses this year Vietnam’s health ministry said the country will have nearly 125 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines this year after initially reporting it expects 120 million vaccine doses, according to an updated post on the government’s website. The total includes 5 million doses from Moderna Inc, 20 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine and 31 million doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, it said. Vietnam, with a popultaion of 96.5 million, will also acquire 30 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses and 38.9 million doses through the Covax initiative, the World Health Organization-backed effort to buy and distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income nations. Vietnam is nearing its goal of purchasing 150 million vaccine doses this year for 75% of the population, according to the post, which cited Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long. Vietnam continues to negotiate with vaccine manufacturers to boost vaccine supplies to reach its herd immunity target by the end of this year or early 2022, Long said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2126251/vietnam-to-have-125m-doses-this-year

From The Thaiger / Bangkok Post The operator of the 7-Eleven chain of convenience stores has confirmed it will open another 700 shops in the Kingdom this year. According to a Bangkok Post report this morning, CP All plans to spend between 11.5 and 12 billion baht on expansion in 2021. The company has opened 155 new 7-Eleven stores so far this year, meaning there were 12,587 CP All-operated stores by the end of the first quarter of 2021. Chief Financial Officer Kriengchai Boonboapichart says around 4 billion baht will be invested in new projects, subsidiaries, and distribution centres. Between 3.8 and 4 billion will be spent on store expansion, around 2.5 billion on renovating existing 7-Eleven stores, and around 1.4 billion on IT systems and fixed assets. 2020 total reported revenue for CP All was 547 billion baht, down 4.3% from 2019, and net profit was down by 27.9% at 16.1 billion baht. During the first quarter of 2021, total revenue has dropped by 8.5% year-on-year, with net profit dropping by 54%. The fall is largely attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to decreased consumption and purchasing power, as well as the drop in tourism. Customers habits are also shifting to favour online shopping, and CP All is continuing to focus on offerings such as 7-Eleven Delivery, All Online, and 24Shopping. https://thethaiger.com/news/business/another-700-7-eleven-stores-to-open-across-thailand

From Bangkok Post Some foreigners get jab next week The government has assured that all foreign nationals living in the kingdom who have registered for vaccination will start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine from next Monday. Sophon Iamsirithaworn, Disease Control Department deputy director general, said on Wednesday that vaccination for all foreign diplomats in the country would be carried out the same day as the government's mass vaccination programme, based upon an advanced reservation system. "Currently, we have started vaccinating diplomats and their families, and international organisations -- such as UN staff, in which they have registered in advance to get a vaccine from designated hospitals," Dr Sophon said. According to Dr Sophon, all diplomatic staff, consular representatives and staff from international organisations in Thailand were required to register from June 1–6 via www.ThailandIntervac.com/diplomats. "For general foreigners, they can get the jab on the same day as Thais," Dr Sophon told an online forum titled "Briefing for Thailand Journalists on the National Vaccine Rollout". "Emphasis should be given to the elderly and those who have seven underlying diseases." The forum was co-hosted by the Public Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) to equip the media with vaccine scheme information so they work in sync with the government. Dr Sophon went on to say that foreigners who want to get vaccinated are also required to register via www.ThailandIntervac.com. Those who have booked via the Mor Prom Application would get an AstraZeneca jab. Dr Sophon said there would be more vaccines assigned to Bangkok than other provinces as the population in the capital is dense and the spread of Covid-19 still relatively high. "There will be almost one million doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac altogether assigned to Bangkok," Dr Sophon said. "In the first two weeks, around five hundred thousand doses should be administered. The government expects 61 million doses from AstraZeneca and around 10–15 million dozes from Sinovac. The department is also negotiating with Pfizer to supply another 20 million doses and Johnson & Johnson for 5 million dozes of their vaccine, he said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2125855/foreigners-get-jab-next-week ================================ Americans plead for jabs A group of prominent US citizens in Thailand has submitted an open letter to visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman asking their government to arrange Covid-19 vaccinations for its expatriate citizens. "Don't abandon us!" was the plea. "The US continues to have a growing vaccine surplus, yet many Americans abroad are still without access to vaccines and their lives are at risk," said the letter, written by Democrats Abroad Thailand chairman Paul Risley, Republicans Overseas Asia VP Tony Rodriguez, Veterans of Foreign Wars commander Carl Manchester and American Women's Club of Thailand president Ambreen Miraly. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2125903/americans-plead-for-jabs ======================================= From Tourism Authority of Thailand

Apologies for an error in my previous post. The fourth paragraph should read: "Even many of those who stand to benefit from victory appear undecided on the cure. The same percentage (about one third) of the population in both the US and Thailand are reluctant to receive a vaccine."

From The Nation US pledges to help Thailand procure vaccines The United States is ready to help Thailand procure Covid-19 vaccines, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said during a meeting with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House in Bangkok on Wednesday. Prayut congratulated Sherman on taking up her post, and US President Joe Biden for his victory in the election, expressing hope that the US and Thailand would continue building stronger friendship and cooperation, according to government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri. Sherman also praised friendship between the two countries that has lasted for over 188 years, Anucha said. "She said the US has a policy to help many countries, including Thailand, in seeking Covid-19 vaccines in a bid to enable them to overcome the crisis." He added that Prayut appreciated the US offer and was willing to commence operations under the vaccine import process. Anucha said Sherman and Prayut also talked about the climate, bio-circular-green (BCG) economy, human trafficking and the situation in Myanmar. https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001595

The above posts reflect both the the good and not-so-good of policies put forward as the world attempts to come to grips with the real enemy: the virus itself. The last time the world attempted to defeat a threat on this scale was in WWII. And that battle was accompanied by the same interplay of political, regional and industrial interests. It was successful only to the degree that individual nations sublimated some of their own priorities and arrived at a grand compromise. As in that war, the opponent, the Axis powers, helped shape how the war was conducted. Now, it's the virus itself that is shaping the same political, regional and industrial responses. It's not always--or even rarely--a comforting process to witness. But its success or failure will be measured in the same way: was the threat defeated. At this moment, that remains undecided. Even many of those who stand to benefit from victory appear undecided on the cure. The same percentage (about two-thirds) of the population in both the US and Thailand are reluctant to receive a vaccine. The only thing all of us have in common is the desire for victory. And with such daunting odds, it's easy to get side tracked with the differences.

From the Thai Enquirer Thailand will launch a quarantine-free travel program for its ten top provinces for tourism starting in October, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister, said on Wednesday. The provinces are Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Chonburi, Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi, Phang-nga and Buriram. Phiphat insisted on opening Phuket this July as planned despite a resurgence of Covid-19 infections. Phuket must achieve a vaccination rate of 70 per cent by this month, he said. The first group of foreign tourists is set to arrive at Phuket on July 3 from North America, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The estimated number of foreign visitors in the third quarter is predicted to be around 129,000. The minister said these ten provinces generated up to 1.5 trillion baht of tourism income, accounting for 75 per cent of total income, and brought about 40 million foreign visitors in 2019, prior to the pandemic. https://www.thaienquirer.com/28182/country-to-reopen-tourist-provinces-in-october-minister-says/ ============================= From The Tourism Authority of Thailand

From The Thaiger The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has announced some specific flight rules on the procedure for international travellers flying into Phuket after July 1. This comes just after the Tourism Authority of Thailand laid out more general rules for travel within Thailand for international tourists. Tourism officials from TAT and the island have been steadfastly determined to reopen under its tourism “sandbox” plan, despite the current surge in cases and daily new cases still appearing in Phuket. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will be evaluating Phuket’s readiness and reporting to the cabinet for a meeting Friday to approve or deny the July 1 reopening. The flight rules for passengers arriving into Phuket from abroad will require all arrivals to be fully vaccinated, receiving 2 doses of those vaccines that require it. Notably, an exception is made for AstraZeneca, only requiring a traveller to have received the first of 2 jabs for just that brand. Another exception for requiring the immunity that vaccination provides is that of natural immunity. People with documentation that they have fully recovered from a Covid-19 infection within the previous 90 days before their arrival will also be allowed to enter. New flight rules will require all passengers to have paperwork confirming that they have been tested for Covid-19 within the last 7 days and have returned a negative result. Any travellers attempting to board a plane without documents meeting these flight rules – proof of a negative test within a week and either 1 AstraZeneca shot, full inoculation, or full recovery from Covid-19 within the past 3 months – will be denied boarding by the airlines and not allowed to travel. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/civil-aviation-authority-details-international-flight-rules =================================== Qatar to fly to Phuket 4 times weekly From The Thaiger Qatar Airways is going all-in on the Phuket sandbox plan to reopen the tourist island to international travellers on July 1. The airline has confirmed that they will run flights 4 times per week between the Qatari capital city of Doha and Phuket. This new route is in addition to the airline’s current 12 flights a week to Bangkok. The flights will be run using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a large plane capable of carrying a total of 254 passengers to Phuket, 232 in Economy Class and 22 in Business Class. The airline said in a press release yesterday that they believe the Bangkok and Phuket routes will connect the Middle East, Europe and the United States to Thailand. The flights will leave Doha at 2:55 am on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, arriving in the afternoon at Phuket International Airport at 1:30 pm. Return flights will leave Phuket 13 hours later, at 2:30 am, the early mornings of Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/transport/qatar-airways-will-fly-4-times-weekly-to-phuket-starting-july-1

Totally agree. Let's hope Biden makes good on his vow to send millions of doses overseas by the end of this month. From NBC News May 17, 2021, 12:57 PM EDT / Updated May 17, 2021, 2:23 PM EDT By Lauren Egan WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Monday that his administration will send an additional 20 million Covid-19 vaccines abroad by the end of June, including for the first time vaccines that have been approved for use in the United States. "Our vaccination program has led the world, and today we are taking an additional step to help the world," Biden said in a speech at the White House. "No ocean is wide enough, no wall is high enough to keep us safe. Rampant disease and death in other countries can destabilize them — those countries — and pose a risk to us as well," he added. The 20 million doses of U.S.-approved shots are in addition to Biden's previous commitment to give 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries, meaning that 80 million doses are expected to be shared with the world within the next few weeks. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-send-20-million-u-s-approved-vaccines-abroad-end-n1267596 ====================================== COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization.

While reading The Nation news today, I came across this headline: Tourist dollars only came from foreign film crew this year "The tourism sector’s only income this year has been from foreign filmmakers and crew, the Department of Tourism said recently." https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001539 Whoa, I thought. What about all those tourists who entered the Kingdom on Special Tourist Visas (STV) or other visas. Some have posted on this board. Sure enough, a brief search determined that 7,694 foreign tourists entered Thailand during January alone. https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news_covid-19.php?id=1945387 This raises the larger issue of a government agency that tosses out a press release and a media all too willing to publish anything that comes over the transom without feeling obliged to do some due diligence.

From Laotian Times Laos is to receive a shipment of some 100,620 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine through the COVAX facility. To prepare for the arrival of the vaccine, the National Immunisation Programme has been provided with special freezers because the Pfizer vaccine requires special ultra cold chain storage conditions to preserve it and maintain its viability, according to the Center for Information and Education for Health. The equipment was provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) with support from the German Federal Ministry of Health. Laos will roll out vaccinations with the Pfizer vaccine to three priority groups, including medical personnel, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses. https://laotiantimes.com/2021/06/01/laos-expecting-shipment-of-pfizer-vaccine/

Visions of the gang that couldn't shoot straight If the consequences weren't so dire , if the confusion didn't threaten the country's recovery, the debate below would be almost comical. Perhaps they'd be wise to adopt the proverb "It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission." From The Thaiger / Bangkok Post In what could put yet another spanner in the works, the Thai government is questioning if local authorities can purchase vaccines and whether state-allocated budgets can be used for this purpose. The Bangkok Post reports that officials at the Interior Ministry fear a chaotic rollout, with several local administrative organisations racing to order supplies of Sinopharm, the latest vaccine to be approved for emergency use. Last week, the Chulabhorn Royal Academy confirmed its intention to order Sinopharm doses directly from China, which it says will supplement the government’s vaccine allocation for the national rollout, set to begin next Monday. The ministry has now referred the question of LOAs purchasing vaccines to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The PM has also expressed concerns about how or if LOAs can afford to purchase vaccines and if they can legally use their allocated budgets to do so. Prayut Chan-o-cha insists he has no objection in theory, but points out that there may be restrictions in place which prevent them using funds for the purchase of vaccines. He says the laws governing the matter need to be checked. “If they can undo this (restriction), by all means go ahead and do it. I don’t want the issue to become politicised.” According to deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam, LAOs would need to ask the Interior Ministry to lift the restriction on how state-allocated funds can be spent. “Otherwise, the LAOs will be in trouble with the State Audit Office for wrongful utilisation of state funds.” He adds that LAOs cannot buy vaccines directly from manufacturers, but would need to order from their appointed representatives. In the case of Sinopharm this would be the CRA. However, the Interior Ministry remains concerned about the potential chaos resulting from over 7,000 LAOs across the country trying to buy their own vaccines. Minister Anupong Paojinda points out that some are wealthier than others, and the CCSA must decide if purchasing power can be devolved or if the government should obtain the vaccines for them. https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/government-unsure-if-local-administration-budgets-can-be-used-to-buy-vaccines ====================================== From the Tourism Authority of Thailand

From The Thaiger Deadline to apply for the 60-day “Covid” visa extension now July 29 The deadline to apply for a 60-day visa “Covid” extension has been pushed to July 29, now allowing stays up until late-September. The extensions are intended for foreigners who are unable to leave Thailand and return to their home country due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. The deadline to apply has been extended by the Thai Immigration Bureau several times, typically announced at the last minute. The previous deadline was May 29. The 60-day visa extension program was launched late last year to allowing foreigners to stay in Thailand due to the global Covid-19 situation and limited international flights. The extension can be granted if… A foreigner cannot return to their home country due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There are no return flights available. The foreigner has a letter from their embassy requesting temporary stay. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/visa/deadline-to-apply-for-the-60-day-covid-visa-extension-now-july-29

From Thai Enquirer Hospitals restrict vaccine registration amid supply concerns The Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) and several private hospitals were closing their registration procedures for vaccination against the Covid-19 virus on Monday. The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) last week asked people to “slow down” their vaccine registration via the Mor Phrom Application due to limited supply of vaccines. The locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine will reportedly not be delivered in June as scheduled. The CRA announced online that their registration has reached capacity, and it will not be registering any new patients to ensure vaccines are allocated to those who have registered. ================================================= Opinion: Corporations have chosen to remain open, it will cost lives and suffering By Cod Satrusayang Over the last two weeks, Thai companies have been questioned over Covid-19 outbreaks in their workplace. Construction firms have seen a spike in the number of cases in construction sites while factories have been closed due to outbreaks. The biggest names in Thai industry have been implicated including Sino-Thai Constructions, Italian-Thai Development, and now Charoen Pokphand. On Sunday, CP Foods announced the closure of one of its factories in Saraburi after 245 people tested positive for the virus. Their other 18 factories will remain open. It is interesting to note that even at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, firms like Sino-Thai and CP kept their factories and sites open to keep the bottom line as unaffected and their shareholders as happy as possible. Even when there are real human costs. The Covid-19 pandemic currently has a mortality rate of around 2 per cent. That number is less in Thailand but that is a testament to the fine doctors and nurses in our public health services. But the fact remains, people will die. Thousands have now been infected because these factories have stayed open, because best practices in keeping the workplaces safe have not been introduced, and because of corporate greed. Choosing to remain open, to keep building, keep processing, and keep working will cost people their lives. People have died, are dying, and will keep dying because these CEOs and business leaders that we venerate in the back pages of Thailand Tatler have chosen to value the bottom line more than human lives. It should not be surprising for longtime observers of Thailand that his is happening. This is a country where corporations rule supreme. Above politics, above government, above the rule of law, corporations operate on another plain in Thai society. But unlike other abuses in the past, both human and environmental – the effects of corporate greed have been laid bare for all to see during the coronavirus pandemic. The human costs aren’t hidden away in the margins of court rulings and knock-on environmental effects that manifest themselves decades later. So far, these corporations have not said whether or not they would support the families of workers who died through their negligence. Continues at https://www.thaienquirer.com/28050/opinion-corporations-have-chosen-to-remain-open-it-will-cost-lives-and-suffering/ ================================================== From Bangkok Post Bangkok spa, parks, beauty clinics to open Tuesday Five groups of places allowed to operate with some restrictions City Hall has allowed some places with no reports of Covid clusters to open from Tuesday, including spas and beauty clinics. Its communicable disease committee met on Monday to consider easing Covid-19 measures for businesses. The panel decided that since the Covid clusters to date were found in communities, markets and construction workers’ camps, measures for other places should be eased to help operators. The places allowed to operate from Tuesday are: museums, learning centres, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group visits tattoo shops, or shops providing any kind of skin-piercing services, and nail salons beauty and weight-control clinics and shops spas and massage shops, except sauna and facial massage services public parks, botanical or floral gardens, with strict measures in place such as a ban on group sitting and consumption of food and drinks, except drinking water Other places remain temporarily closed until June 14. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2124511/bangkok-spa-parks-beauty-clinics-to-open-tuesday ========================================== From Tourism Authority of Thailand ===================================================== From The Thaiger Tim and Bill of "Good Morning Thailand" go through all the latest news from around Thailand including an interview about the Bangkok slums areas of high density housing, also the latest in the Phuket Sandbox and Thailand reopening plans, Malaysia’s new ‘lockdown’. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/good-morning-thailand-the-situation-in-bangkok-slums-thailand-re-opening-plans